Most crocheters are wanting to substitute as a result of one of three situations:

Cost of the Bernat Blanket Yarn.

Not Able to Get the Bernat Blanket Yarn.

They don’t want to use the Bernat Blanket Yarn.

Most have made assumptions that the Bernat Blanket Yarn is more expensive than multi stranding a standard 4 ply worsted yarn such as Bernat Super Value Yarn. I’m a huge believer that you should do what is right for you. What choices you make are entirely up to you.

So I put myself to the task of setting up an experiment to determine what the true equivalent is and to do a price break down to determine what is the cheaper option.

The Substitution Experiment

I think the Bernat Super Value option will be heavier but I don’t know how much.

Assumptions

Bernat Blanket 300 g size is $9.99 USD

Bernat Super Value 197 g size is $4.99 USD.

Use the regular retail prices to be fair. Crocheter can make adjustments if they find the yarn on sale.

Bernat Blanket Yarn Verses Bernat Super Value Equivalent Experiment

Procedure

Weigh all of the yarn balls. Including 1 extra for Bernat Super Value in the case that 3 strands are not enough.

Derive a pattern that can be done giving an accurate swatch to gauge the results.

Crochet 1 Swatch with Bernat Blanket using 8 mm or Size L that is recommended on the yarn ball.

Weigh the finished sample to determine the yardage used, costs of yarn by the yards and find out the cost of the sample to compare.

Using 3 strands of Bernat Super Value, follow the same pattern for 2 rows. If incorrect, subtract or add strands and begin again. Measure against Bernat Blanket Sample for width equivalent. If satisfied, finish the sample.

Weigh the finished Bernat Super Value Sample. Figure out the yardages used considering all of the skeins used, costs of yarn by the yardage and find out the cost of the sample.

Results

Bernat Blanket Yarn Verses Bernat Super Value Equivalent Experiment

My hypothesis was wrong with being 3 strands. It was actually 4. I had to rip out the sample and retry with 4 to get the same size.

The Bernat Blanket Sample measured 5″ wide by 4.5″ long.

Weighing 15 grams.

$9.99 / 300 g = $0.033 per gram.

201 meters / 300 g = $0.67 per meters per 1 gram.

Sample is $0.495 = 10 meters of yarn.

The Bernat Super Value measured 5″ wide x 4.5″ long.

Weighing 23 grams.

$4.99 / 197 g = $0.025 per gram.

389 meters / 197 g = 1.97 per meters per 1 gram.

Sample is $0.56 = 11.3 meters of yarn.

The winner for being more cost effective is Bernat Blanket Yarn over Bernat Super Value. It is lighter and less yardage will be used to make the same project if substituting. For afghans, it can be the difference of a comfortable afghan to an afghan that is way too heavy.

Bernat Blanket Yarn Verses Bernat Super Value Equivalent Experiment

Conclusions

While the Bernat Super Value is regular 4 ply worsted yarn, it is technically cheaper by the yardage and weight over the Bernat Blanket Yarn if you compare 1 strand of each.

Due to Bernat Blanket Yarn being Super Bulky weight and Super Value being only Medium Weight. It takes 4 strands of Bernat Super Value to equal the gauge weight of Bernat Blanket.

Bernat Super Value is more dense and not as plush. Therefore, when 4 strands are put together, it is not as plush and the project is double the thickness of Bernat Blanket. So it’s technically a lot more thicker but gauge wise is the same in the horizontal and vertical directions.

Bernat Super Value is more dense, therefore not as soft. It is not as flexible and is stiff. It will not drape as nicely as Bernat Blanket.

Weight wise, for the same size. My sample was 1.5 times heavier for the Bernat Super Value over the Bernat Blanket. Therefore, when using 4 strands, you should expect the project to be much heavier. For a large afghan, the weight difference can be substantial. If the afghan is 10 lbs in Bernat Blanket, it will be 15 lbs in Bernat Super Value.

Using multi strands was a real pain as I kept dropping strands or they would jump off the hook as I tried to crochet. Many stitches, I had to stop and collected dropped strands. It wasn’t fun. It took me much longer to do the sample as a result of the strands snagging.

Bernat Blanket Yarn Verses Bernat Super Value Equivalent Experiment

While everyone is on a budget, you can multi strand as an option if you have the yarn in your collection to use up. But if you are looking for new yarn to buy, for the Bernat Blanket Types of Projects, you are better to buy the actual yarn then to substitute. Again, that’s assuming the yarn is not on sale that you are substituting and is the equivalent for yarn density.

Run Your Own Gauge

If you want to know what other yarns are equivalent, you can run your own tests to see. Do a mini sample square using Bernat Blanket and use multi strands of another brand to find the same gauge. Once you get it, you know what you can use.

Mikey, The Crochet Crowd

Thanks for visiting my website, TheCrochetCrowd.com. I've been crocheting since I was 14 years old and genuinely excited by yarn and projects to crochet. Serving the globe has it's challenges in reaching audiences of difference languages and cultures but it's remarkable all the same. One of the best elements of crochet is that yarn and project ideas know no borders.
Join our learning channel on YouTube, look up "How to Crochet with The Crochet Crowd" and our entire free library of tutorials is waiting for you to enjoy. Subscribe to our channel to be the first to know when new projects are released.

15 thoughts on “What is The Substitution of Bernat Blanket Yarn?”

The article was definitely bang on! But I have a different issue with blanket yarn. I really want to make the mermaid snuggle sack for my granddaughter, but she is a “Finding Nemo” fanatic and I wanted to make it in Nemo colors. The blanket yarn doesn’t come in orange. So I ordered a one pound skein of Caron yarn in bright orange. When the yarn arrives, I’ll be trying some swatches to see if I can adapt the pattern from the blanket yarn to the standard 4 ply yarn. Wish me luck!

I did like the article . I happen to love tips & research. I’ll tell you one thing. This whole magazine is JAM PACKED with great info. Kudo’s to you all involved. I know you must all work very hard & I’m sure many of you wear a multitude of hats. Good thing you can crochet them!!! lol Hope you got that last line, that was a joke. Seriously, thank you for all you do. Karen Cole

Just one little thing/Can you use the multi color yarn from Bernet blanket yarn?
I cannot find the teal I want. There is just two colors light and dark. Thank you for your time. Hope to hear from you soon.

Mostly “Bang On”. There is a fourth reason some don’t use the blanket yarn. A few of my friends say it hurts there hands to use it. I have been using it & have not really been having a problem. I have notice that I do get tired sooner, but have not had any pain.

Bang on! I hesitated to buy Bernat Blanket, but found it on sale and have almost completed the shark snuggle sack — just the fin and tail to go. Next up — the rocket. Need to find one more. I like the dinosaur tail, but I wish it included a dinosaur head. It doesn’t quite have the detail of the others.

I think your article was “BANG ON”. I generally try to use the yarn listed or at least the same category yarn. So even if it’s a “light weight cardigan” with basically no sleeves and it seems strange to use a wool free lace in a 1, I’m going to go for it. The only times I have changed the yarn weight has been on a shirt pattern and it worked so well I’m going to do another in another color. But keep making articles like this. People like me who stopped crocheting for 30 years (yes go ahead and slap my knuckled with a wooden Tunisian hook) really need all this great knowledge without fumbling through it ourselves if you don’t mind.
P.S. Enjoy Alaska, my dad just came back for a week cruise from Seattle and then stayed with an old friend for almost a month to get away from the humidity of good old Florida summer, so Enjoy and have a drink for me and place something on both 8 and 28 on roulette if you get the chance.

I actually did two Shark sacks. The first I used Bernat Blanket yarn (it was on sale) and made the toddler size. The second Shark sack was made using Stitch Studio by Nicole Chateau, this was on Clearance. The yarns are very similar and both sharks came out wonderfully. I almost wanted to switch to a lighter yarn, because I am making them for grand-nephews who live in Hawaii, and these are very plush. However, after reading your explanation, Mikey, I think I will stick with a blanket yarn type. Instead of laying inside, it is still so plush they can lay on top of it, if it gets to warm. I have 3 more to make, depending upon the yarn colors that go on clearance or sale, I may make the rocket next! Thank you so much for your tutorials, I am a stroke survivor and now need the visuals to follow, as written patterns can be confusing to me. Also, wanted to SHOUT OUT a big thank you to my Mother-in-law, Mable, for introducing me to Crochet Crowd! What a fabulous ‘group’ of people you have working behind the scenes and your fans!